First Teener, Crooked rear Options

[jetboy]

Finally got my first 914. Its a '71 and was originally Irish Green. Since its been painted at least once (found traces of Gemini Blue on the trunk) i will go with Adriatic Blue or maybe even Oxford (dalmation) blue from a 911 color. Any ways, I need opinions about my rear end. Please look at pics and tell me what can be done.

First, here is my $400 puchase. Had engine fire, minimal damage but not running.

[jetboy]

I think there was some damage on the front end due to comparing light buckets.

Pass side

[jetboy]

And Driver side.

[jetboy]

Front trunk passenger side (notice wrinkles).

[jetboy]

Not bad, but, driver side is straight.

[jetboy]

Battery tray.

[jetboy]

Now is my issues of a not so straight frame. First here is the drivers side door gaps.

[jetboy]

And passenger side. Not bad but about 1/8-1/4 inch difference.

[jetboy]

This is my biggest concern. What is up with my rear suspension? Here is my rubbing tire even though the fender is slightly rolled. Drivers side.

[jetboy]

Passenger side is not rubbing, nor, is rolled.

[jetboy]

And here is a straight shot from the rear. The drivers side seems to be about 1-3 inches off center compared to the passenger side. Why is it like this (crooked frame, rear alignment, simple adjustment)?? And what are some possible fixes for it to be squared up again? Thanks for any information and troubleshooting you can provide me.

[Dead Air]

Looks like a good deal to me. They can almost straighten anything.

[bjorn jacobson]

Just a few things to think about (other more experienced members will be able to give extensive info on this).

Have an alignment shop check to see if the chassis is straight. From the pictures the suspension looks way out of wack. Also check the mounts for the rear trailing arms, you'll sometimes find rust or worse.

Rear springs appear to be fairly worn. New springs will add to ride height in the rear. Tires also look like they have seen better days. They look fairly large and very unevenly worn. Once you have new tires and springs have an alignment done. This should set you up pretty good as long as the chassis isn't twisted.

[meares]

$400? you can part this car out for more than that and then buy a nice one. (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/smile.gif)

[Allan]

It looks like the drivers side is a little lower than the passenger side.

Check the suspension console. If it is solid things will be easier...

[jetboy]

Although, i havent torn her apart yet to see the full extent of rust (i plan on stripping down the trunk/hood/engine bay/interior to coat with rust bullet and quiet car), it really doesnt have a significant amount of rust that i can see. I have thought about parting and finding a different one, but, this is a project that might be very fun and rewarding. The large and worn tires are only there for purpose of getting into the garage before teardown and not originally on the car (as noticed by the 2L fuchs). I am sure the springs need replacing (will eventually go 140# since i want a 2.2-2.7 /6). I was just curious if anyone has had this issue (im sure im not the first) and if it was a twisted frame or a rear end adjustment issue. Keep the ideas, thoughts, and opinions comming (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/beerchug.gif)

[jetboy]

And another bump looking for more reasons or exactly what to check for (how to resolve myself (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/smash.gif) ) on why the rear wheels are 1-3in further out on the drivers side than the passenger side. Gurus? (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/icon_bump.gif)

[michel richard]

These projects are fun. Judging from the pictures, it looks like you have something very nice on your hands, and that you got a very good deal. A few checks can confirm that.

First thing I would do is take off the outer rocker panels (a few rivets on the door sills, 3 screws per side, underside, and a couple of other little bolts near the ends), and remove the floor carpeting inside. This will give you a good idea of how strong the longitudinal box sections are on each side of the car. If they're good, you got a smoking deal ! If not, the amount of rust and your skill level will determine is you should part or save the car.

Assuming the longitudinals are fairly good, I would then look at the left rear suspension. There's a trailing arm that holds the wheel in position. The trailing arm is attached to the body by a single bolt at the inside front end: it bolts to a part of the body we call the "inner ear" or something like that, you'll know it when you see it. Look at this inner ear very carefully to see if it's cracked or what not. If it's fine, then most likely you simply have an alignment problem, and you can adjust it by loosening the three bolts at the outboard front end of the trailing arm where there's a sort of "cup" that holds the trailing arm to the frame.

As for the tweaking of the front hood, I suspect that you can adjust things with some creative massaging of the front hood itself.

Apart from that, the other things are the engine, of course, and the injection system. If those were'nt damaged in the fire, things will be real easy.

You have the nice wheels.

Let us know what you find !